A coil galvanometer is an instrument used to measure small electric currents by deflecting a pointer across a calibrated scale. The operation of a galvanometer is based on the interaction between a magnetic field and a current-carrying coil. To understand its working and derive the formula, we need to consider several aspects of the coil galvanometer.
### Key Components of a Coil Galvanometer
1. **Coil**: Usually a rectangular or circular coil wound around a core.
2. **Magnetic Field**: Created by permanent magnets or electromagnets.
3. **Deflection Angle**: The angle to which the coil rotates in the magnetic field when a current flows through it.
4. **Spring**: Provides a restoring torque to bring the coil back to its initial position.
### Fundamental Concepts
1. **Torque on the Coil**: When a current \( I \) passes through the coil, a torque \( \tau \) is exerted on it, given by the equation:
\[
\tau = n \cdot B \cdot I \cdot A \cdot \sin(\theta)
\]
where:
- \( n \) = number of turns in the coil
- \( B \) = magnetic flux density (in teslas, T)
- \( I \) = current flowing through the coil (in amperes, A)
- \( A \) = area of the coil (in square meters, m²)
- \( \theta \) = angle between the magnetic field and the normal to the coil surface.
2. **Restoring Torque**: The coil is subjected to a restoring torque \( \tau_r \) due to the spring, which opposes the deflection. This torque is proportional to the deflection angle \( \theta \):
\[
\tau_r = k \cdot \theta
\]
where \( k \) is the spring constant, representing the stiffness of the spring.
3. **Equilibrium Condition**: At equilibrium, the torque due to the current equals the restoring torque:
\[
\tau = \tau_r
\]
Therefore, substituting the two equations we have:
\[
n \cdot B \cdot I \cdot A \cdot \sin(\theta) = k \cdot \theta
\]
### Galvanometer Sensitivity and Calibration
- The sensitivity of the galvanometer \( S \) can be defined as the deflection per unit current:
\[
S = \frac{\theta}{I}
\]
Rearranging the previous torque equation and substituting \( \theta \) yields:
\[
I = \frac{n \cdot B \cdot A}{k} \cdot \sin(\theta)
\]
### Full Formula for Coil Galvanometer
If we define the instrument constant \( C \) as:
\[
C = \frac{n \cdot B \cdot A}{k}
\]
The relationship between current and deflection angle can be expressed as:
\[
I = C \cdot \sin(\theta)
\]
For small angles, \( \sin(\theta) \approx \theta \) (in radians), thus simplifying to:
\[
I = C \cdot \theta
\]
### Summary
- **Current Measurement**: The current flowing through the coil galvanometer can be determined from the deflection angle \( \theta \) as follows:
\[
I = C \cdot \theta
\]
- **Calibration**: The constant \( C \) must be determined experimentally and is specific to each galvanometer.
### Conclusion
In practice, galvanometers are used in various applications, including measuring electric current, checking circuit continuity, and other electronic testing scenarios. The design and sensitivity of the coil galvanometer can vary, but the fundamental principles remain consistent across different types of galvanometers.